Beijing News (Reporter Liu Zhen) On January 21, the 9th China Beijing International Art Biennale (referred to as the 9th Beijing Biennale) with the theme of "Light of Life" opened at the National Art Museum of China, co-sponsored by the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, the Beijing Municipal People's Government and the China Artists Association, implemented by the China Artists Association, and supported by the National Art Museum of China. From January 21 to February 15, on the occasion of the 24th Winter Olympic Games, the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, the theme of the exhibition, "The Light of Life", covers the Olympic spirit and the anti-epidemic spirit, and the two spirits fit together, reflecting the value, dignity, energy and brilliance of human life.
Shi Junfeng, "Building Dreams for the Olympics", 2019, Chinese Painting. 240 cm × 200 cm
It is understood that this year's Beijing Biennale exhibited in 117 countries and regions, with a total of 573 participating artists and a total of 707 exhibited works. From "Color and Olympics" to "Ecology and Homeland", from "Future and Reality" to "Memory and Dreams", from "Silk Road and World Civilization" to "Colorful World and Common Destiny", and then to this year's "Light of Life", the exhibited works focus on the theme of "Light of Life", using paintings, sculptures, installations, videos and other forms of artistic expression, pursuing a new and unique and colorful contemporary art style. Some works praise the white-clad angels who save lives, some works praise the ice and snow athletes who challenge the limits, and some works reflect deeply on the common destiny of mankind and the ultimate meaning of life, almost all of which are committed to carefully shaping the pure and noble soul of human beings and pursuing the Olympic ideal of "cleaner, more humane and more united".
Chen Xi, "The Women's Volleyball Team of Chinese Memory on the World Stage 1", 2007, oil on canvas. 150 cm × 180 cm
In addition to the theme exhibition, the 9th Beijing Biennale also has 5 special exhibitions: "Selected Special Exhibition of Sports Theme Collections of Previous Beijing Biennales", "Special Exhibition of George Morandi Prints", "Special Exhibition of Contemporary Art in Twelve European Countries", "Tony Kragett Exhibition" and "Special Exhibition of Contemporary Art of International Women Artists". For the first time, the organizing committee focused on sorting out and presenting more than 30 of the most wonderful sports-themed works in the international art collection in the past 20 years; the world's largest collector of Morandi prints exhibited all the collections in China for the first time, showing the audience the "black and white" wonderfulness other than Morandi's oil paintings; the representatives of outstanding domestic and foreign female artists also presented different creative perspectives through their works.
Spanish artist Eugenio Ampoule, Briceño Concert, 2020, video. 8 min 56 sec
It is worth mentioning that in order to break through the limitations brought by the region and the epidemic to offline exhibitions, this year's Beijing Biennale will continue to produce and launch a 360° online art museum, using technical advantages to send the excitement and charm of "light of life" to as many people as possible. Since its inception in 2003, the Beijing Biennale, as the "most international biennale", has contacted 150 countries, submitted 130 participating countries, and nearly 5,000 artists from various countries. It is reported that the Ninth Beijing Biennale was invited by the Cultural Activities Department of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics Organizing Committee to join the "Meet in Beijing" Olympic Cultural Festival and the 22nd "Meet in Beijing" International Art Festival.
Beijing News reporter Liu Zhen
Edited by Tian Kaini Proofreader Zhao Lin